New Year 2017 Vikram Samhat 2074

A Very Happy New Year Vikram Samvat 2074 to all of you!! May this new year bring joy and prosperity for all of you and help fulfill your dreams!

Unlike Gregorian calendar, we do not start our new year at 12.00 AM. New Year starts at the time on the new moon day in the Chaitra month. This time, the new year dawns at 8 hours, 27 minutes and 47 seconds on 28th of March 2017 for a chart prepared for our national capital New Delhi. A mundane astrology chart prepared for this moment tells a lot about how the year will affect all of us. As residents and citizens of the great country, our fates fortunes are interrelated anyway. Some of us may do well and some may not do so well, but our baselines are all tied to the socio-economic situation prevalent in this country.

The Mesha Sankranti chart is also required. I will shortly add the analysis and then consolidate.

Before we start, it is important to take a look back at the year that passed and how my predictions were. I have picked up some of the phrases that I had used in the last year's chart. Let me be forthcoming at the beginning itself that no astrologer saw the demonetization coming. At best, astrologers saw a war like situation in October/November 2016. Still, if you look at the statements in this blog post, you can see that my predictions were pretty much on the target.

Not for the faint-hearted
work like a juggernaut that tolerates no resistance and creates opportunities rather than waiting for them.
The government should be able to bulldoze through the GST amendment, but if it is not able to, it will certainly be able to bring in creative, short-cut policies that closely resemble the GST, without the need for a constitutional amendment.
decisions will be hasty and short-cuts will be aplenty. Some of the methods to make forward progress will be questionable.
This is a good sign related to service to poor - poverty alleviation, public health schemes and Swachha Bharat in the current context. This is also a good sign for focused effort and beneficial influence on defense & police services.
the posturing towards the neighbours will be confrontational.

The only thing I keep getting wrong is the attitude of this government towards corruption. Based on Guru Chandaal Yoga last year, I had surmised that there will be some corruption in the government that will come out. However, the government at the center is pretty much corruption free. What keeps coming out is the corruption done in the previous regime. I am perplexed. If there is an astrologer that can help me understand it, I will be indebted.

The chart present here is prepared for March 28, 2017, 8:27:47 for New Delhi, India. This chart is of Aries Lagna, with the navamsha lagna being Scorpio. Hence, Mars rules both the rashi and navamsha lagna. The Lagna degrees are 25 ° 44" and at 18 ° 51", Mars is pretty close to the Lagna. Mars is in Lagna, in its moolatrikona sign forming a powerful Ruchaka yoga. Of all the Ruchaka yogas possible in Vedic Astrology, this one is the most harmonious of placements. The Martian energy will ensure that there is tremendous activity in the right direction. This is a benefic Mars. Due to this placement, it can be said that the home affairs of the country will be taken care of well by the government. Since Mars denotes a war like situation, there will be aggression. If there is any problem in the country, then the country will stand united.

This lagna position is occupied by Mercury, which is malefic. In a normal horoscope, this indicates a sickly constitution. There will be constraints on availability of resources throughout the year. There can be problems with monsoon in the year which can lead to scarcity of food grains. However, this only indicates scarcity. Large scale famines, epidemics and natural disasters are not indicated.

Mercury by itself indicates literary activities, communication. These will prosper. However, since Mercury is malefic in this chart and is also aspected by Rahu, such communication will not always be pleasant. The current attitude of media and intelligentsia against the government will continue unabated.

Rahu affects the lagna & lagna lord from 5th house. 5th house is Leo that indicated the ruler. Sitting 8th from 10th, which denotes reputation of the government and afflicting the 1st house, it adds to the woes that Mercury brings. 5th house denotes higher education and Rahu bringing in malefic aspect from this house on lagna denotes that JNU, Jadhavpur university like situations will also erupt embarrassing the government throughout the year. Rahu in 5th house is not good for students. Higher education will suffer.

The chart indicates Moon and Sun in 12th house. This is aspected by Venus and Jupiter. Venus can have a taint of being maraka for Aries lagna, but overall both of these can be considered as benefic planets. Crime (prisons) and diseases (hospitals) will have the focus of the government. It can be debated if Jupiter and Venus are powerful enough. Jupiter is not in good house/sign. It is further aspected (although not 100%) by Saturn. Venus although in its exaltation sign is retrograde and debilitated in navamsha chart. Therefore, while the focus on reform measures on in prisons, healthcare will be there, the actual results on the ground will not be visible.

Sun's position in 12th house is unfavourable overall. There can be big increase in spy activities against the ruler. Mars in 1st house, Jupiter in 6th house and Sun in 12th house will indicate rise in military spending. There will be lot of push on the associated infrastructure. Jupiter is less powerful, but reasonably placed nonetheless, will indicate focus in this area. 6th lord in 1st house also means that enemies of the state will be powerful.

A very interesting drishti combination in this horoscope is Rahu aspecting Saturn further aspecting Ketu. If we consider Rahu/Ketu + Saturn together in the chart, it shows malefic tendencies towards 9th and 11th house of the horoscope. 9th house indicates legal system of the government. The judicial wing and the bureaucratic structure of the government is shown under malefic aspect. They will not have good time. Saturn indicates delay, fear in their mind. Rahu indicates crooked mind. Both indications are hence not good. The policy implementation of the government will not be effective. 9th house being house of travel also indicates foreign affairs, along with the 11th house (11th to 11th). 11th house by occupation of Ketu is damaged as well. It is saved in by Saturn's third house drishti on its own house. Still, the overall indication is that the foreign affairs will not be well managed by this government. We may see a shift in foreign policy - this can mean that efforts towards security council membership, NSG membership will not be successful. Since 11th's condition is better than 9th, the dialogs with foreign governments will carry on. While talks will go on, results will not be up to expectations. Getting Vijay Mallya back to India by way of extradition will remain a pipe dream. Modi should think about getting Sushma Swaraj out of External Affairs ministry since she has health problems. The current combination of planets indicates further problems to people in this ministry and could adversely affect her.

Since 9th is also indicative of higher education, please correlate this effect with what was mentioned about student unrest. It adds to that logic.

Lack of strength of Jupiter in 6th house means that financial reforms will still be low key and to the ground level. 6th house indicates working class. Commerce is indicated by Mercury. Mercury becomes the 6th lord and starts representing working class in the chart. That is telling something. 11th house, which is 6th from 6th indicates this as well. It is occupied by nonchalant Ketu and Saturn aspecting its own house. I think it is common sense that the government will work on poor, downtrodden and working class people till 2019 elections. The big bang expansionist reforms that the Dalal Street is expecting for will still be missing. All the economists should forget that reforms and high economic activity will happen in this year.

Nation's wealth that is indicated by 2nd house will remain though as its lord is in 12th house. Remember, the only placement of 2nd lord in 12th that does not cause nirdhana yoga is for Aries Lagna where Venus is exalted in 12th house. Yes, I did mention that Venus is not exactly exalted in this scenario, but it is not powerless either. Status quo in GDP growth will continue. It will not slow

Stock market will continue to grow till mid and late 2017. It will remain inflated and then will gradually going down around mid of 2018. There are some higher level transit elements of Jupiter and Saturn that are forcing that. However, in this year, due to Rahu in Leo in 5th house, speculation without basis will keep the markets and traders on its toes. However, the lord of 5th sitting in 12th in a water sign indicates complacent traders. There isn't much basis in the enthusiasm of the market. It is moving in a direction based on inertia and nothing else. This is not a good sign. Make hay while the Sun shines, but be ready to quit the stock market if you do not agree with the valuations.

Road and railway infrastructure will see problems. There is a possibility of anger brewing in railway unions. Rahu is the deceptive element, which affects Saturn, which in turn afflicts the 3rd house of transport. Rahu is corruptor as well. So, its either corruption or terrorism that will cause problem with transport sector.

Iron and steel industry will do well. Factories related to military infrastructure will do well as military spending will increase.

Saturn in 9th house affected by Rahu also indicates (surprisingly) lack of religious sentiment. Do not expect this government to make effort on Hindutva stand that the detractors expected it to.

Trust Mars to do the right thing in this new year. Let it take us forward with zeal and determination. Let us all unite in our endeavours to take this country to the heights it rightly deserves.